Various approaches to teaching foreign languages: advantages, disadvantages, the role of a teacher

Introduction. With account of existing variety of methods and approaches to teaching foreign languages, the paper raises the question of the appropriateness and justification for using certain methods (for example, the non-translation method) within the framework of the communicative approach to teaching foreign languages. It also defines the role of a teacher within the framework of individual methods and approaches.
Goal. Analysis of existing methods and selection of the most effective ones that meet the requirements of the time and the needs of students.
Materials and methods. The article uses such theoretical methods as classification, comparison and analysis of methods of teaching foreign languages. The research materials include the work of researchers in this field, reviews of teachers and students, the author’s own professional observations as well as relevant textbooks.
Results and discussion. The effectiveness of individual methods based on the communicative approach directly depends on the correct implementation of a certain communicative task within their framework grounded on the corresponding communicative competence based on a number of fundamental principles of the communicative approach. Such principles also include the rejection of the native language when teaching a foreign language. However, a detailed analysis of such methods, in terms of their justification and effectiveness, shows that learning a foreign language using the non-translation method gives good results for developing oral speech skills, while mastering all aspects of the language system – grammar, vocabulary, phonetics and such types of speech activity as writing and reading – is given insufficient attention within the non-translation method.
Conclusion. Thus, some methods of teaching foreign languages (for example, the non-translation method) have a number of serious shortcomings, which are noted by a number of authoritative researchers. The article emphasizes the need for a critical approach to modern methods of teaching foreign languages and the selection of only truly effective, rational and time-tested components of these methods.

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